Heather Krasna, PhD & Associates

Handling Disability in the Job Search

I became disabled and have been out of work for 8 months… I will now need to find a new job. How can I not have this held against me in the job search? Before I start this post, I should say I’m not a certified vocational rehabilitation specialist. I would recommend seeking one out … Continue reading →

Freelance Vs. Full Time

Q: I’m switching from full-time nonprofit development and communications work to freelance writing and editing, and I’ve been told that I should use a concise one-pager to promote myself … something that summarizes my key strengths and work experience. Do you agree with this advice, and how would you say branding myself as a consultant … Continue reading →

Too Late for Personal Branding?

Q: If you are already being considered by a Non-profit for a new position, what can you do at that point for Branding? This is a tough one. I would say that once you are in the interview process, there’s probably not a lot you can do to change their first impression of you. They … Continue reading →

Questions to Ask During Informational Interviews

I always harp on job seekers to do informational interviews. These meetings are essential in building up your personal network and expanding on your knowledge of organizations in your chosen field. But what are you supposed to talk about during your half hour to an hour chat with a professional in your field? It’s firstly … Continue reading →

Following up on jobs you’ve applied for

I think it’s fair to follow up a few days after you apply to a job to ask a few questions and elaborate on your excitement and interest in the job. This is one of the main things you can do to get the hiring manager to give your resume a second look. You can … Continue reading →

Same location, different hiring methods: City of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit, Tacoma

Same location, different hiring methods You would think that local government hiring processes might have similarities to one another when they are located in the same geographic region. As I conducted research for my book, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service, I found this definitely to not be the case. … Continue reading →

Weakness, Schmeakness

When is a weakness a strength? There are many cases where a strength might be a weakness in disguise. As a classic example, if someone is in the field of accounting, their weakness might be that they sometimes pay so much attention to details that they lose sight of the big picture. This weakness, in … Continue reading →

Can Your Credit Score Hurt Your Job Search?

Will prospective employers look at credit scores and/or other financial information and if so, how much weight will they give it (especially in this economy)? I know this comes up for certain types of employers (financial services firms, accounting firms, banks, and often the federal government) of for certain types of jobs (especially ones in … Continue reading →

Personal Brand and Nicknames

What if you are online with several different names (e.g. nicknames, formal name, etc.)? One of the first steps in building a consistent personal brand is to decide what name you want to go by, and it which parts of your life. If you want to truly keep your professional brand separate from your personal … Continue reading →